Rated 'n' Slated - Workin' Man Noise Unit

1. Getting fed at shows
After you’ve worked all day, dropped shit off at home then quickly squeezed into a car, driven ages to a show, loaded in and sound checked you suddenly remember you haven’t eaten since lunchtime and will be figuring out if there’s enough time to squeeze in some chips after the show that won’t mean getting home in the wee hours of the am before having to get up again for work in a couple of hours. Then the promoter says, “There’s food.” Gaia bless these people.

2. Chips
Chips are well nice right? So much potential from a cut up potato.

3. Jazz
It is always expected of musicians to write something pretentious in these sorts of articles. We could have included books and authors to show how well read we all are but after a steady diet of jazz on our latest tour I decided it is the greatest musical style ever and therefore ‘rated’. Now you can call us arrogant snobs behind our backs (my gift to you). Assuming you’re not an opinionated ass some of our choice selections: Herbie Hancock ‘Maiden Voyage’, John Coltrane ‘A Love Supreme, Alice Coltrane ‘Journey in Satchidananda’, Eric Dolphy ‘Out to Lunch’.

4. Music happening right now
There’s a real abundance of amazing music out there and it’s a real pleasure to play with or discover music from the ‘underground’. The list is endless but some great stuff I have seen in the last month or so: knifedoutofexistence, Shaman Yew, -1, Sly & The Family Drone, FCKN BSTRDS, Perfume Advert, Lean Left, Wasp Bomb, Typical Hunks, Pet Cat, New Cowboy Builders, Fret!, Gwenno, Taman Shud, Casual Nun, USA Nails, Another Neville, Cowtown plus countless others folk will be hating me for not mentioning.

1. Rob Wilson MP (Reading East) Our local MP
Utter shit-eating bastard. He blocks constituents for daring to air any views that contradict his Party’s. He’s a total party stooge; a bore who constantly regurgitates the party line as he is seemingly incapable of any individual thought of his own. Claimed 9p in expenses for a car journey (suck it up dickhead). Told a constituent who questioned him on rising homelessness in Reading not to be a “bad loser”. Basically I would love to punch the prick in the face. Total waste of oxygen.

2. Rising cost of living
It would be very lazy to use this article to slag off the Conservative Party as a whole as I don’t think things are really that black and white and there’s not enough space to go into why. I think a lot of people from all colours of the political spectrum can recognise the huge disconnect between what most of the population earn and what they can afford though. I know plenty who work their arses off, earn a reasonable wage and yet cannot afford to live comfortably, myself included. It’s a disgrace and Society needs to unite and agree on constructive solutions rather than blaming each other and getting nowhere.

3. Early mornings
Who the fuck decided starting work in the morning was an acceptable way to spend your time. I mean if you’re a farmer that’s fair enough as there’s only so much daylight but if you’re the kind of person going into a record shop at the crack of sparrows or queuing outside the supermarket at 7am or supping a pint bang on opening you need to reassess… actually a pint right now would be kind of nice.

4. British Gas
Tried to sting us for a £29k leccy bill because the fucknut G4S employee they sub-contracted to read our meter was reading the meter for a fucking shopping centre instead. Still took them the best part of 3 years to sort out and barely got an apology. While we’re at it G4S can fuck off too; morally bankrupt organisation who would sell their grannies if there was a buck to be made.

5. The Guardian/Huffington Post/Independent
I try to avoid party political tribalism where I can but the recent Labour leadership election felt like such a flagship moment in British progressive politics; a positive movement that relied solely on discussion and ideas and honesty (something a lot of people quickly forgot that they wanted as it turns out). Then these ‘bastions of liberal ideas and politics’ showed their true, ugly corporatist hearts with their appalling coverage of the whole thing. Despite that, Corbyn won. Now they pepper ‘balanced’ coverage with only the odd smear. I won’t forget that in a hurry.

Workin’ Man Noise Unit will release their new album, Play Loud, digitally on Nov 13. Vinyl is currently available for pre order and will be released Nov 20.